Fairway Solitaire

Last updated
Fairway Solitaire
Fairway Solitaire Windows Cover Art.jpg
Developer(s) Big Fish Studios
Babaroga (Windows Phone)
Publisher(s) Big Fish Games
Designer(s) John Cutter
Engine Java
Platform(s) Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Windows Phone
Release2007
February 15, 2012 (iOS) [1]
2013 (Windows Phone) [2]
Genre(s) Card (Solitaire)
Mode(s) Single player

Fairway Solitaire, alternatively titled Fairway is a casual video game based on the classic card game solitaire and developed by Big Fish Studios. The game is digitally distributed and is available from Big Fish Games.

Contents

Gameplay

Fairway Solitaire presents players with a modified type of solitaire with a golf theme. In the game, players use golf clubs and playing cards to clear the table. The goal in Fairway Solitaire is to play through a collection of 70 courses with each course offering a different type of challenge. Once the challenge is met, the next course is unlocked and the player advances in the tournament. Players may be awarded trophies for accomplishing various tasks. Often they are rewarded along with in-game cash or prizes. In addition to the main tournament, daily challenges are available for players to win trophies. Players' scores are recorded and ranked against all other players on the same platform. Additionally, statistics are kept for each player and trophies are awarded for predefined achievements. Adding to the challenge of the game is a gopher, known as Gutsy McDivot, who will stop at nothing to get revenge on the golfers who killed his ancestor, Bravetooth. As the player progresses, cutscenes are shown of McDivot making a contraption he dubs the "Golfinator".

Each Fairway Solitaire course offers water hazards and sand traps. Water hazards are special water cards which must be cleared from the board before the cards to its right are revealed. Sand traps are sand cards which are not revealed until the 'sand wedge' card is uncovered. Occasionally, a player will reveal an iron card. Iron cards have a specific golf club on them and act as magic playing cards without breaking the current drive. A person may play a club at any time to continue adding to a long drive. The clubs are restricted to the 2-9 irons. During Fairway Solitaire game play, wild cards are randomly revealed. One may choose to randomly select an event or pay to skip the risk. The cost to skip is either two cards or $300. These wild cards offer varying opportunities and challenges.

The Fairway Solitaire Club House has a golf shop wherein players can purchase equipment to help them during tournament play. The equipment assists the player during actual game play or during wild card play. Items may vary depending on gender. Handicaps which improve a player's performance on a course can be purchased in the shop with Golf bucks, an in-game currency that is earned through gameplay. Golf bucks can also be used to purchase additional courses for the game.

Development

The Mac version of Fairway Solitaire omits 'Solitaire' from the title, retitling it to just Fairway. [3] A "completely rewritten" version of the Mac version titled Fairway Collector’s Edition was also released. [3] A port of Fairway Solitaire was planned as a launch title for the Windows Phone 8, but was delayed for a year, ultimately releasing in 2013. [2]

Reception

Fairway Solitaire received generally positive reviews from critics. Multiple critics noted the game as 'strategic'. [3] [4] [6] Kotaku called its game design as "clever", [7] and Pocket Gamer described the game's combination of golf and solitare as "inventive", calling it "hugely enjoyable" due to the "surprising amount of strategic opportunity" in its gameplay. [4] Game Informer noted it as "hopelessly addict[ing]", and called it "a great puzzle game with a surprising amount of depth and strategy". [6] TouchArcade also praised it as 'addicting', stating in regards to its gameplay that "what it lacks in difficulty it makes up for in sheer mindless entertainment". [5]

Inside Mac Games praised the amount of content in the game, stating that the game has a "great feeling of variety", but criticized the fact that the iOS version has features not present in the Mac version, such as daily courses and additional minigames. IMG praised the game's attention to detail, as well as itscartoony graphics and "funny" cutscenes, further expressing that "everything is beautifully drawn and animated". IMG noted the game's music, sound effects, and golf commentators as highlights of the game, saying that it has "the best voice work I've ever heard in a game". [3]

During the 16th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Fairway Solitaire for "Casual Game of the Year" and "Mobile Game of the Year". [8] [9] [10]

Legacy

In 2011, Big Fish Games released a sequel titled Fairway Fever, a timed version of the game released on Facebook, [11] which was later made unavailable by 2013, and incorporated as an additional mode in the Mac version of Fairway. [3] A second sequel, Fairway Solitaire Blast, was released on April 3, 2014 [12] for iOS & Android devices. [13] [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uno (card game)</span> Card game produced by Mattel

Uno, stylized as UNO, is a proprietary American shedding-type card game originally developed in 1971 by Merle Robbins in Reading, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati, that housed International Games Inc., a gaming company acquired by Mattel on January 23, 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golf (card game)</span> Type of card game

Golf is a card game where players try to earn the lowest number of points over the course of nine deals.

Golf etiquette refers to a set of rules and practices designed to make the game of golf safer and more enjoyable for golfers and to minimize possible damage to golf equipment and courses. Although many of these practices are not part of the formal rules of golf, golfers are customarily expected to observe them. The R&A rule book states that "[t]he overriding principle is that consideration should be shown to others on the course at all times."

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to games and gaming:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microsoft Spider Solitaire</span> Solitaire game in Microsoft Windows

Spider Solitaire, also known as Microsoft Spider Solitaire, is a solitaire (NA)/patience (EU) card game that is included in Microsoft Windows. It is a version of Spider. As of 2005, it was the most played game on Windows PCs, surpassing the shorter and less challenging Klondike-based Windows Solitaire.

Star Wars PocketModel Trading Card Game is an out-of-print tabletop game manufactured by WizKids, Inc. that debuted in 2007, based on the Star Wars universe. The game was designed by Mike Elliott and Ethan Pasternack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chainsaw Warrior</span>

Chainsaw Warrior is a single-player board game designed by Stephen Hand and published by Games Workshop in 1987. A video game based on the board game was released for mobile and desktop platforms.

<i>Ticket to Ride</i> (video game) 2008 video game

Ticket to Ride is a turn-based strategy video game, based upon Alan R. Moon's German-style board game of the same name, developed by Next Level Games and published by Playful Entertainment, Inc. The game started out as a browser game on November 15, 2004. In February 2017 Days of Wonder abandoned Linux support, although Xbox still seems to support the game having crossed it over to the Xbox One & Xbox X.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Game</span> Structured form of play

A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work or art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boomzap Entertainment</span> Video game developer

Boomzap Entertainment is a casual games developer registered in Singapore with a virtual office environment. It was formed in 2005 and has released 50 games to date that are ported on various platforms. Boomzap has developed for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Nintendo DS, Wii, iOS, and Android. Its games are available on games portals such as Big Fish Games, Yahoo!, WildTangent, GameHouse, Google Play, Amazon, iTunes, Steam and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collectible card game</span> Game played using specialized playing cards

A collectible card game (CCG), also called a trading card game (TCG) among other names, is a type of card game that mixes strategic deck building elements with features of trading cards, introduced with Magic: The Gathering in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golf (patience)</span>

Golf, also known as One Foundation, is a patience or solitaire card game where players try to earn the lowest number of points over the course of nine deals. It has a tableau of 35 face-up cards and a higher ratio of skill to luck than most other solitaire card games. Its easy game-play also makes it within easy reach of first-timers, while still offering scope for strategic play.

<i>Worms 3</i> 2013 video game

Worms 3 is an artillery turn-based tactics video game in the Worms series developed and published by Team17 for iOS on August 8, 2013, and released for Android devices via the Play Store and Mac OS X computers in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game</span> 2011 fantasy strategy card game

The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game is a non-collectible customizable card game produced by Fantasy Flight Games. As part of the Living Card Game (LCG) genre, it is a cooperative and strategic card game set in Middle-earth, a fantasy world featured in literary works by J. R. R. Tolkien, including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Its digital adaptation, titled The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game, is published by Asmodee Digital for cross-platform play on Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, being the "first ever digital LCG".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Game design</span> Game development process of designing the content and rules of a game

Game design is the process of creating and shaping the mechanics, systems, and rules of a game. Games can be created for entertainment, education, exercise, or experimental purposes. Increasingly, elements and principles of game design are also applied to other interactions, in the form of gamification. Game designer and developer Robert Zubek defines game design by breaking it down into its elements, which he says are the following:

<i>WWE Immortals</i> Discontinued mobile game

WWE Immortals was a fighting game based on the professional wrestling promotion WWE. It was released on January 15, 2015, for Android and iOS. The game was developed by NetherRealm Studios in conjunction with Phosphor Game Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game was free on both app stores. On February 28, 2019, the game was shut down and no longer sold in-app purchases as of December 31, 2018.

<i>Clash Royale</i> 2016 mobile game

Clash Royale is a real-time strategy video game developed and published by Supercell. The game combines elements from collectible card games, tower defense, and multiplayer online battle arena. The game was released globally on March 2, 2016. Clash Royale reached $1 billion in revenue in less than a year on the market. In three years, Clash Royale made $2.5 billion in revenue according to market intelligence company Sensor Tower. It is the first spinoff of Clash of Clans.

<i>Dead Mans Draw</i> 2015 mobile card video game

Dead Man's Draw is a strategic card game application developed for Apple (iOS) and Windows, published by Stardock. It was first developed for iOS, releasing on 8 October 2015. This release was followed by a PC port, released on the Steam marketplace on 6 February 2016. A tabletop version of the game was published by MayDay Games and released on 11 April 2015.

A digital tabletop game is a video game genre that includes video games that have gameplay similar to physical tabletop games, including board games, card games, and role-playing games. Many digital tabletop games are adaptions of existing physical games into the video games, though some of these are wholly digital games that use tabletop game mechanics. There are also tabletop game simulators that allow for users to recreate tabletop games from a variety of game pieces.

<i>Pocket Card Jockey</i> 2013 video game

Pocket Card Jockey is a card-based video game developed and published by Game Freak for Nintendo 3DS, iOS, and Android.

References

  1. ↑ Wilson, Will (February 15, 2012). "Golf meets cards in freemium game Fairway Solitaire for iOS". Pocket Gamer . Steel Media. Archived from the original on May 31, 2022.
  2. 1 2 Acevedo, Paul (June 13, 2013). "Fairway Solitaire finally arrives on Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8". Windows Central . Mobile Nations. Archived from the original on December 28, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hallas, Richard (January 2, 2013). "Fairway Collector's Edition". Inside Mac Games . Archived from the original on January 15, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. 1 2 3 Wales, Matt (February 27, 2012). "Fairway Solitaire". Pocket Gamer . Steel Media. Archived from the original on June 2, 2013.
  5. 1 2 Campbell, Nissa (February 22, 2012). "'Fairway Solitaire' Review – A Card Game that's More than the Sum of its Parts". TouchArcade . Archived from the original on February 23, 2012.
  6. 1 2 Reiner, Andrew (February 22, 2012). "My New Addiction: Fairway Solitaire". Game Informer . GameStop. Archived from the original on February 26, 2012.
  7. ↑ Totilo, Stephen (February 23, 2012). "Trust Me. Fairway Solitaire Is an iPhone Solitaire Game You Should Play". Kotaku . Gawker Media. Archived from the original on November 23, 2018.
  8. ↑ "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details Fairway Solitaire". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences . Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  9. ↑ Haley, Sebastian (February 7, 2013). "Journey dominates the 2013 D.I.C.E. Awards (full winner list)". VentureBeat . Archived from the original on February 9, 2013.
  10. ↑ Parker, Laura (February 7, 2013). "Journey wins big at D.I.C.E. Awards". GameSpot . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 11, 2013.
  11. ↑ Webster, Andrew (November 18, 2011). "Fairway Fever Review". Gamezebo . Archived from the original on November 19, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  12. ↑ Albert, Brian (April 3, 2014). "Fairway Solitaire Blast is Out Today". IGN . IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 9, 2014.
  13. ↑ Squires, Jim (April 3, 2014). "Fairway Solitaire Blast Review". Gamezebo . Archived from the original on April 9, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  14. ↑ Slater, Harry (April 4, 2014). "Fairway Solitaire Blast". Pocket Gamer . Steel Media. Archived from the original on April 8, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.